Electric knife-switch.



No. 688,583. Patented Dec. m, I901.

w. F. BUSSERT.

ELECTRIC KNIFE SWITCH.

(Application filed May 20, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sham I.

(No Model.)

INVENTOR.

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No. 688,583. Patented Dec. 10, IQUI. W; F. BDSSERT.

ELECTRIQ KNIFE SWITCH. (Application filed May 20. 1901., (No Model.) 2Sheets-Sheet 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEioE. I

WILLIAM F. BOSSFIRT, OF UTIOA, NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC KNIFE-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 688,583, dated December10, 1901.

Application filed May 20, 1901.

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. Bossnnr, residing at Utica, in the countyof Oneida and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements inElectric Knife Switches, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in large knife-switchesadapted for the control of powerful currents, such as are employed forarc-lighting and motor service, and has special reference to electricswitches which employ main switch-blades and auxiliary switch-blades,one or more of each, the former of which are provided with an operatinghandle in order that in opening the circuits the main blades may beseparated from their clips first, and afterward the auxiliary bladesare. automatically made to follow the main blades quickly and completethe opening of the circuits and, so far as may be, obviate all arcing atthe points of separation.

In the common quick-break switches provided with an auxiliary blade, thespacing or 'distance between the main blade and clips, when separated inopening the circuit, is not regulated and no means are provided for suchregulation, before the auxiliary blade is to be separated from itsclips, as the friction of the auxiliary blades and clips and the strainon the springs are depended upon to regulate said spacing or distance.This, however, is an uncertain factor, as the constant working 'of theswitch imbalances the equilibrium of these parts, and after a time theauxiliary blades leave the clips under the influence of its springsbefore a sufficient space has been traversed by the main blades and theobjectionable sparking takes place.

In the invention I provide means whereby the auxiliary blades do notseparate from the clips until the main blades have become separated fromthe clips a predetermined space or distance and when theretracting-springs have been sufficiently compressed or acquired therequisite tension to insure a quick and positive action to open thecircuit, and to this end the auxiliary blade is held locked to the clipsuntil the predetermined point is reached, when it becomes unlocked andthe springs, which by the previous movement of the main blades have beenplaced under ten Serial No. 60,977. (No model.)

sion, suddenly react and pull the auxiliary blades away from the clips.

The invention also relates to various details which will be referred tohereinafter.

In the drawings forming apart of andillustrating the invention, Figure 1is a one-half plan view ofa double-pole single-throw switch. Fig. 2 is aside elevation thereof. Fig. 3isa section on line to w of Fig. 2. Figs.4 and 5 are sections on lines a: so and y y of Fig. 3, respectively.Fig. 6 is a one-half plan view of a four-pole double-throw switch. Fig.7 is a side view of the foregoing. Fig. 8 is a crosssection on line .2zof Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is an end view of the hinge-post shown in Fig. '7,and Fig. 10 is a detail of the switch.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 55, inclusive, of the first sheet of drawings,it will be understood that Fig. 1 represents but one-half of the switch,and the unshown half is a duplicate of the figure. a is aninsulating-base, of marble or slate, secured to which are the hinge.-post I? and the clip 0. The blades which com; plete the connectionbetween the hinge-post and the clip consist of the two main outer bladesd d and the central auxiliary blade 6. The three blades are pivoted tothe hinge-post by the boltf, provided with nuts and washers on each end,and the said blades are located between the arms g g of the post. Theblades are separated from each other by a suitable space to permit theupright ends of the clip 0 to pass between them and make rubbing contactwith their surfaces. At the hingepost I) the spaces on each side of theauxiliary blade 6 are filled by the disks 7 7 whose peripheries on theends are cut away, as des ignated by 11, forming a path for the pin 10,which is secured in the end of the blade 6 and projects on either sidethereof into said path. A hole 20 is made in the end of the blade 6, inwhich is located the cam or eccentric 8, through which passes thepivot-bolt f. The disks 7 7 and the cam 8 are secured together and tothe-blades d d by the pin 12, which extends through them all. In. theunder side of the blade 6 is a slot 17, into which extends the end of aspring-impelled pin 14. when the blade is connecting the hinge-post withthe clip. The pin 14: is supported in a hollow case 15, whose end isscrewed into the base 16 of the hinge-post between the extensions g g.The pin is provided with a collar 18, between which and the plug 21(which is screwed into the case 15) is the helical spring S. In eachdisk 7 are slots 9 to receive one end of the volute springs s s, whichare coiled about the disks, and their opposite ends are formed intoloops, which are secured to the ends of the pin 1, which extends on eachside of the blade 6.

A represents one of the pole-switches, the main blades (1 d of which areconnected to similar main blades of the second pole-switch (not shown)by the insulating-bar 6, which is provided with the handle 72, and theauxiliary blade e of the switch A is connected to the complementaryblade of the said second switch by the insulating-bar 2, which islocated parallel with the bar 6 and is provided with extensions 4, towhich the blades 6 are secured by the screws 3 3.

In the operation when the handle it is raised it turns the cam 7 andwinds up the spring 3 until the abutment 22 strikes the starting-pin 10,when the auxiliary blade 6 is moved from the clip 0, whereupon thespring 3 reacts and brings the said blade out sharply from the clip andbar 2 comes against the bar 6 with a snap. a

Fig. 2 shows the auxiliary blade e upon the clip '0, and the main bladesare raised away from the clip. Their position when down is representedby the dotted lines.

The principle or mode of operation of the invention is similar to thepreviously-invented switches of this classi. a, when the handle h israised and the main blades d d are separated from the clip a theauxiliary blade 6 remains upon the clip; but in my invention the rise ofthe auxiliary blade is not dependent upon the springs s s overcoming thefriction of the blade with the clip, but the space or distance which themain blades are to be raised is predetermined. As the handle is raisedthe disks 7 7 andthe cam 8 are rotated until the abutment 22 on thedisks strikes the pin 10, at which point the cam has raised the end ofthe blade 6 off from the end of the pin 14, and as the pin 10 is rotatedby the abutment 22 it carries the auxiliary blade away from the clip,and the springs s s (which have been wound up upon the disks 7 7) reactand bring the auxiliary blade upward with a quick movement, so that thebar 2 snaps against the bar 6. When the handle is depressed, the reversemovement takes place, and as the blades are pressed upon the clip thepin 14 is forced downward against the pressure of spring S until theslot 17 comes opposite the end of the pin, which thereupon is forcedupward into the slot.

Figs. 6 to 10, inclusive, refer to a four-pole double-throw switchconstructed to operate the same as the switch just described when theswitch opens or closes with the clips on each side of the hinge-post,and to efiect this result two auxiliary blades are employed in averynovel manner. The main blades 01 d are arranged the same as in theswitch previously described. The auxiliary blades e e are placed so thatwhen they are closed to the clips 0 on the right-hand side or the clips0 on the left-hand side they will both enter the same cleft of theclips, and to eifect this result the said blades are of one half thebreadth of the main blades and are both in the same plane one upon theother except atthe hinge-posts, where their ends are bent to oppositesides, so as to be in separate planes. The blade 0 has its locking-slotc on one side and the blade e has its slot 1; on the opposite side. Whenthe blade 6 of each switch is in the right-hand clip 0, the locking-pin14 is in the slot 1;, (the pin being of sufficient width to enter theslot of either auxiliary blade e or e as it is presented,) and it willbe readily seen that in operation the auxiliary blades 6 and e areindependent of each other. When the auxiliary blade 6 of a switch is inthe clip 0 and the handle his pushed over to the left, it carries theunlocked auxiliary blade 2 with the main blades, and the auxiliary blade6, being locked by the spring pin or bolt 14, will remain so until apredetermined space or distance has been traversed by the handle 7b,when it becomes unlocked and the said blade is brought over by thespring 3, and when the handle is pushed over to the right the auxiliaryblade 8 of each switch is carried over with the main blades and theblade 6 remains in the clip 0 until the predetermined time, when itbecomes unlocked and its spring 8 causes it to leave the clip and openthe circuit, both operations being the same in reversed directions. Eachblade 6 and e is provided with a spring .9, as indicated in Fig. 7,where the spring 5 of the blade e is shown in full lines, while thespring 3 of blade e is represented in dotted lines. Starting-pins 10 areemployed, as in the single-throw switch previously described, to bringthe auxiliary blades from the clips. 7

Having described the invention, I clai1n- 1. In an electric switch, thecombination of an insulating-base, a hinge-post and a clip, main andauxiliary blades for completing con nection between the postand theclip, a spring linking the main blade and the auxiliary blade adapted tobe placed under tension by the upward movement of the main blade and toraise the auxiliary blade automatically from its clip to meet the mainblade, with a spring-bolt for locking the auxiliary blade to thehinge-post and means for unlocking the same when the main blade israised a predetermined space or distance consisting of a cam operated bythe main blade to raise the pivoted end of the auxiliary blade from thespring-bolt, and to lower the said blade end again upon the said bolt.

2. In an electric switch, the combination of an insulating-base, ahinge-post and a clip, main and auxiliary blades for completingconnection between the post and clip, a spring linking the main bladewith the auxiliary blade adapted to be placed under tension by theupward movement of the main blade and to raise the auxiliary blade tomeet the main blade, with a device for locking the auxiliary blade tothe hinge-post, consisting of a springactuated bolt located upon oradjacent to the hinge-post adapted to enter a slot near the end of theauxiliary blade, and means for unlocking the same when the main blade israised a predetermined space or distance.

3. In an electric switch, the combination of an insulating-base, ahinge-post and a clip, main and auxiliary blades for completingconnection between the post and clip, a volute spring linking the mainblades with the auxiliary blade adapted to be placed under tension bythe upward movement of the main blades and to raise the auxiliary bladeto meet the main blades, with a device for locking the auxiliary bladeto the hinge-post, consisting of a spring-actuated detent located uponor adjacent to the hinge-post adapted to coincide with .a depressionnear the end of the auxiliary blade, and means for unlocking orseparating the said detent from the said depression when the main bladesare raised to a predetermined space or distance.

4. In an electric switch, the combination of an insulating-base, ahinge-post and a clip, main and auxiliary blades for completingconnection between the post and clip, a volute spring linking the mainblades with the auxiliary blade adapted to be placed under tension bythe upward movement of the main blades and to raise the auxiliary bladeto meet the main blades, with a device for locking the auxiliary bladeto the hinge-post, consisting of a spring-actuated detent located uponor adjacent to the hinge-post adapted to coincide with a depression nearthe end of the auxiliary blade, and means for unlocking the saidauxiliary blade by raising its pivoted end from the said detent when themain blades are raised to a predetermined space or distance.

5. In an electric switch, the combination of an insulating-base, ahinge-post and a clip on both sides thereof, main and auxiliary bladesfor completing connection between the hinge-post and the said clipsalternately, springs linking the main blades and the respectiveauxiliary blades adapted to be placed under tension by the upwardmovement of the main blades and to raise the auxiliary blade from itsclip to meet the main blades and the second auxiliary blade, with adevice for locking the auxiliary blade left in the clip to thehinge-post, and means for unlocking the same when the main blades areraised a predetermined space or distance.

6. In an electric switch, the combination of an insulating-base, ahinge-post and a clip on each side thereof, two main and two auxiliaryblades for completing connection between the hinge-post and the saidclips alternately, a spring linking each main blade with an auxiliaryblade, each adapted to be placed under tension alternately by the upwardmovement of the main blade in the proper direction and to raise itsassociated auxiliary blade from its clip to meet the main blades and thesecond auxiliary blade, with a device for locking the said auxiliaryblade while in its clip, and means for unlocking the same when the mainblades and the second I blade to the hinge-post and means for unlock oing the same when the main blade is raised a predetermined space ordistance.

8. In an electric switching appliance, the combination of a plurality ofknife-switches upon an insulating-base, each consisting of a hinge-postand a clip on each side thereof, two main and two auxiliary blades forcompleting connection between the hinge-post and the said clipsalternately, a spring link= ing each main blade with an auxiliary bladeeach adapted to be placed under tension alternately by the upwardmovement of the main blade in the proper direction and to raise itsassociated auxiliary blade from its clip to meet the main blades and thesecond auxiliary blade, with a device for locking the said auxiliaryblade while in its clip, and means for unlocking the same when the mainblades and the second auxiliary blade are raised a predetermined spaceor distance.

9. In an electric switching appliance, the combination of a plurality ofknife-switches upon an insulating-base, each consisting of a hinge-postand a clip on each side thereof, two main and two auxiliary blades forcompleting connection between the hinge-post and the other clip,theauxiliary blades being oneabove the other in the same vertical planewhere they come in contact with the clips but in different planes wherepivoted to the hinge-post, a spring linking each main blade with anauxiliary blade each adapted to be placed under tension alternately bythe upward movement ofthe main blade in the proper direction and toraise its associated auxiliary blade from its clip to meet the mainblades and the second auxiliary blade, with a device for locking thesaid auxiliary blade while in its clip, and means for unlocking the samewhen the main blades and the second auxiliary blade are raised apredetermined space or distance.

10. In an electric switching appliance, the combination of a pluralityof knife-switches upon an insulating-base, each consisting of a &

hinge-post and a clip on each side thereof, two main and two auxiliaryblades for completing connection between the hinge-post and the otherclips, the auxiliary blades being one half the width of the main bladesand in the same vertical plane where they come in contact with theclips, but in different planes where pivoted to the hinge-post, a springlinking each main blade with an auxiliary blade, each adapted to beplaced under tension alternately by the upward movement of the mainblade in the proper direction and to raise its associated auxiliaryblade from its clip to meet the main blades and the second auxiliaryblade, with a device for locking the said auxiliary blade while in itsclip, and means for unlocking the same when the main blades and thesecond auxiliary blade are raised a predetermined space -or distance.

11. In an electric switch, consisting of a hinge-post and a clip on eachside thereof, two

main blades and two auxiliary blades for 00111- pleting connectionsbetween the hinge-post and the said clips alternately, the auxiliaryblades being one above the other in the same vertical plane where theycome in contact with the clips but in different planes where pivoted tothe hinge-post, a spring linking each main blade with an auxiliary bladeadapted to be placed under tension alternately by the upward movement ofthe main blade in the proper direction and to raise its associatedauxiliary blade from its clip to meet the main blades and the secondauxiliary blade;

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 16th day of WVILLIAM F.BOSSERT.

May, 1901.

Witnesses:

FRANK G. SOOFIELD, FRED T. FORMBERGER.

